The House is Reining in the IRS

When the IRS targeted innocent Americans and conservative organizations, it wasn’t just another example of government incompetence. It was a partisan effort to use the power of government to limit political speech.

House Republicans have worked since the IRS scandal to rein in this unaccountable agency and make sure no American citizen has their fundamental rights infringed upon. In the upcoming appropriations bill, we put severe constraints on the IRS to stop the abuse. The House will:

Prohibit the IRS from suppressing the civic participation of 501(c)4 organizations

Prohibit funds for the IRS to target groups based on their ideological beliefs

Prohibit funds for the IRS to target individuals exercising their First Amendment rights

Prohibit the IRS from producing inappropriate videos at conferences

Prohibit funds for bonuses or hiring former employees without considering that persons employee conduct or federal tax compliance

Require extensive reporting on IRS spending and official time

In all, the House will fund the IRS at $1.7 billion below the level the President requested.

Leader McCarthy said this about the House’s efforts:

“Public faith in government is at a low point as more and more government agencies abuse the trust people place in them. The IRS has failed the American people by targeting individuals and organizations based on their political beliefs. That is unacceptable. The House has succeeded in putting strong legal limits on the IRS so that our government is accountable to the people.”

The IRS has given the American people too many reasons not to trust it. It’s time for some tough accountability to make sure the IRS serves the American people, not itself or political causes.